14/36 : Understanding Solution Space
"The best solutions come from the best collaborations." - Reid Hoffman
What is the Solution Space?
In product discovery, the "solution space" refers to the set of all possible solutions that could address a specific user need or problem. It is the set of all ideas, features, and solutions that could potentially be included in a product to solve a user problem or fulfill a user need.
The size and complexity of the solution space can vary depending on the user problem or need to be addressed, the product domain, and the available resources. The solution space is explored during the product discovery process, which involves conducting research, user interviews, and other forms of user testing to gain insights into user needs and behaviors.
The goal of exploring the solution space in product discovery is to identify the most promising solutions that will provide the greatest value to the user and the business. This involves prioritizing and selecting the most viable solutions based on factors such as user needs, market demand, technical feasibility, and business goals.
Effective product discovery involves balancing the exploration of the solution space with a deep understanding of user needs and market demand and using this knowledge to make informed decisions about which solutions to pursue and how to best deliver value to users.
Solve the problem right.
Solving a problem right is not just about finding any solution, but finding the solution that truly addresses the underlying issue and delivers the desired results. It involves being thorough and thoughtful in the problem-solving process and being willing to adapt and iterate until the best solution is found.
In short, solving the problem right means approaching problem-solving with a mindset of careful analysis, critical thinking, and a commitment to finding the best possible solution.
How are we solving the problem space
The goal of solutioning is to gain the ability to make prioritization decisions about features for the product.
Understanding Users
Personas: An overview of a target user outlining their process or workflow and main problems needing solved
Design insights: Rules to follow when designing for this market
Scenarios: Writing product use cases
Low fidelity wireframing: A rough outline of a screen, outlining the key activities
Usability testing: One-on-one interviews with end users, testing product ideas via wireframes and scenarios.
Understanding The Business
Define and Prioritize Feature Set: Generate a high-level set of features to describe a minimum viable product
Understanding Tech stack
Basic App Creation: Developers scaffold out the basic structure of the app
What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming is a technique for working with a group to find creative ideas for a specific problem.
In short, brainstorming is a method to creatively solve a problem. In this, it is important that everyone has a good understanding of what the problem is in order for people to brainstorm accurate solutions.
Why is brainstorming important?
Creative thinking shows us that there are multiple solutions to a problem and multiple ways to look at a problem.
People are often stuck in their ways of thinking because of the patterns they see, which is extremely bad for innovation.
Creative thinking helps to challenge our assumptions, discover new things, see from new perspectives and keep us mentally sharp.
5 brainstorming techniques
Brainstorming is not about the quality, but about the quantity of ideas.
You’re going to come up with as many ideas for a problem as possible, possibly with a group of people, for a set amount of time.
There are 24 methods you can use to make brainstorming more effective:
Eidetic image method
In the Eidetic image method, the group starts by closing their eyes to illustrate the current product in their minds…
Then they can start discussing what it looks like, close their eyes again and start visualizing what an improved version would look like, what features it would contain, what color it is, how big it is, etc.
This brainstorming technique works best when improving an existing product or solution.
Collaborative brainwriting
With this method of brainstorming, there is no need to dedicate a specific session to it….
For example, a facilitator hangs up a large sheet in an office with a problem-statement and possibly already some brainstorming ideas and everyone can contribute ideas in his or her own time.
This way everyone can contribute anonymously, just make sure it is clear to everyone when the deadline is to contribute.
SCAMPER
The SCAMPER brainstorming technique helps brainstormers look at a problem from multiple perspectives, SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for:
Substitute: evaluate what would happen if you swapped one facet or solution for another.
Combine: evaluate what would happen if you combined one facet or solution with another.
Adapt: assess what would happen if you placed one idea or solution in a different context.
Modify: think about how you could change an idea or solution to make even more impact.
Put to another use: think about how you could still use your idea in other ways.
Eliminate: assess what can be removed from your idea or solution to make it simpler.
Reverse effective: finally, you can look at how you can reorganize an idea to make it more effective.
Round robin brainstorming
In round-robin brainstorming, there is one person responsible for bringing up a question or several questions…
In this process, everyone must answer one at a time. In doing so, no feedback may be given or a second idea shared until everyone has shared his or her idea.
This brainstorming technique is ideal for medium to large teams where there are introverted team members or where there is a poor balance of creative input.
Tip: If someone shares an idea that has already been, give that person time to come up with a new idea.
6 thinking hats
In the 6 thinking hats brainstorming technique, you need at least 6 people who are going to wear thinking hats. These different ‘thinking hats’ are going to allow them to look at a problem or idea from one specific angle.
There are 6 different thinking hats:
Blue hat (Conductor’s hat): manage the decision process, ask for summaries and come to conclusions.
Green hat (Creative hat): the green hat comes up with creative ideas and thinks in terms of possibilities.
Red hat (Hat for the heart): go out of your feeling and instinct, you don’t necessarily have to think logically.
Yellow hat (Optimist’s hat): with the yellow hat you look at problems with an optimistic view, you see advantages in everything.
Black hat (Judge’s hat): the black hat is very critical and sees problems in everything, it is important to see risks and dangers quickly.
White hat (Fact hat): neutral and objective, shares lots of statistics and facts.
+ Royal hat (Owner hat): guides the brainstorm, is looking for the balance between subjectivity and objectivity.
Solution Brainstorming and Worksheet
Solution brainstorming is a problem-solving technique that involves generating a large number of potential solutions or ideas to address a specific problem or challenge. It is a collaborative process that encourages creativity, open communication, and out-of-the-box thinking.
The purpose of solution brainstorming is to identify as many potential solutions or ideas as possible in a short amount of time, without immediately evaluating or judging them. This allows participants to explore unconventional or unexpected solutions and build on each other's ideas to generate new and innovative solutions.
Effective solution brainstorming involves a diverse group of participants with different perspectives and expertise. The process typically involves the following steps:
Define the problem: Clearly articulate the problem or challenge that needs to be addressed.
Set the stage: Establish a safe and supportive environment that encourages open communication and creativity. Participants should feel free to share any idea, no matter how unconventional or impractical it may seem.
Generate ideas: Encourage all participants to contribute ideas, using techniques such as free association, mind mapping, or rapid ideation to stimulate creativity. Record all ideas without immediate evaluation or judgment.
Evaluate and refine: Review the ideas generated and group them into categories. Evaluate each idea based on its feasibility, potential impact, and alignment with the goals and constraints of the project. Refine the most promising ideas further to create a viable solution or combination of solutions.
Test and iterate: Implement and test the selected solution, and be prepared to make adjustments or iterate based on feedback and results.
Overall, solution brainstorming is an effective technique for generating new and innovative solutions to complex problems, and it can help teams to work collaboratively and think creatively in order to achieve their goals.
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